Sting
by Midnights-AM-Child
Summary: Narcotics policeman Helia tries to keep Flora and Miele safe so they can testify against the Wizards of the Black Circle. Unsure what to do, Flora must decide if keeping a gangster as her lover or cooperating with the Specialists is best for her family. Her attraction to Helia is swaying her decision, but she's in too deep for her choice to not cause dangerous repercussions.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the Winx Club and any other patented, copyrighted material that may appear in Sting.

**Sting**

Chapter One

Helia leaned on the back of his chair and stared at the clock. He couldn't wait for his shift to be over. There were times when his job was full of action, moments were he went undercover to surveil dangerous people. There were even days were he evaded death! Unfortunately, he had to pay for it with days like his current one, stuck behind a desk with a mountain of paperwork to do. Nobody told him that becoming a cop came with so much paperwork. If he had known, maybe he would have reconsidered careers. Policing was in his blood though. His grandfather, Saladin, was once the commissioner. So it seemed like destiny that Helia was a Specialist in Magix City's Narcotics Unit. He doubted he'd be anything more. Despite his dreaded paperwork, he enjoyed being a Specialist.

Helia had dosed off before he heard high-pitched Italian screamed throughout the precinct. "_Non voglio parlare! Non voglio parlare!_" Helia looked up to see his coworkers, Timmy and Brandon carry a small, but very feisty preteen. She'd been handcuffed, but that didn't stop her from squirming and trying to kick anything in her reach. They were having a rough time with her; Timmy was red with embarrassment.

"If you don't stop, I'm going to have to put you in the cell," Brandon threatened.

"_Io non parlo inglese_," she spat at him. She was claiming not to speak English.

That was a lie. Her accent showed she wasn't a native Italian speaker. Helia knew it was textbook Italian because it was also his second language. He learned in college. Neither Brandon nor Timmy spoke Italian. Timmy assumed she was saying that she didn't speak English through context clues. They needed to place her in a holding cell. After seeing that the cells were occupied with older men, they put her in an interview room instead. She was combative, but none of the Specialists would feel right putting her in a cell with real criminals. She was still a child; there was hope for her. Timmy took a sigh of relief when the door closed behind him. His partner Brandon put a hand his shoulder. "Isn't she a charmer?"

Timmy laughed a little. "I can't believe she came from the Linphean district."

"Yeah... But she's lucky we arrested her. She has no street sense. I don't know what possessed her to try to sell drugs. I wonder were she got all this weed." Brandon held the gallon Ziploc bag full of marijuana. "It's a wonder she wasn't robbed or killed."

"Or suspicious." Riven grumbled. He'd come from the cribs. His sleep was clearly interrupted. "She has to be a decoy or something. Let me take a crack at her. Brat woke me up..."

Timmy shook her head. "She doesn't speak English."

Riven scoffed. "Like I said. Decoy."

_"Non mi puoi tenere qui!" _She wanted to be released.

"What language is that? What the hell is she saying?"

"I presume Italian," Timmy said, pushing up his glasses. "It's obviously a romance language. I know a little Spanish and it's not a match. I doubt it's Portuguese either."

Riven looked at his partner. "Helia, this one's yours."

Helia nodded and got up from his desk. It appeared his day wouldn't be boring after all. Helia walked inside and looked at the girl. She couldn't have been more than thirteen. She glared at him with electric green eyes. It was amusing to him that she tried to look tough. Pink manicured nails and lip balm didn't have a thug vibe. She probably had no idea the kind of trouble she was in. "_N_o_n parlo inglese,_" she said again.

"_Parlo italiano. Hai bisogno di un avvocato._"

Her eyes widened. She hadn't counted on the police calling her bluff. He told her she needed a lawyer. Suddenly, she realized her situation. She was in a lot of trouble. Fear ran through her. Her lip quivered. She dropped the non-English act and cried. "I want to call my sister."

* * *

Flora wasn't surprised to see the number to the Narcotics Unit on her caller ID. Part of her didn't want to answer. Anagan and his friends had gotten busted too many times for her liking. She knew from the start that he wasn't good. She was sick of him and the trouble he caused. Flora needed to end things. This call was the final straw, but she answered anyway. "You have a prerecorded message from -Miele Fata- Charges may apply. If you would like to hear the prerecorded message press one. If you would like to speak to -Miele Fata- press two. If-" Flora pressed two. She was devastated to find out it was Miele. Flora did her best to calm her down. When the call ended, she called her good friend, Bloom, a defense attorney. Her heart was racing when she went to the station.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for Miele Fata."

"Huh? Oh you mean the little Italian fighter. She's probably been processed by now. You should find Officer Helia, he's the only one who speaks Italian around here."

Flora's eyes widened. She didn't understand why they would give Miele such a nickname. She was a sweet girl. She couldn't see her fighting unless given a reason. She went further into the station and looked around. She saw a cell, but Miele wasn't in it. For that she was grateful. She looked around and finally saw Helia's desk. He was so preoccupied with paperwork, he hadn't even seen her walk up. Flora clutched her bag and cleared her throat. "Um, I'm looking for Miele Fata."

Miele's guardian finally arrived. He admitted that he was curious to see the type of woman she was. He didn't understand how any child could end up in such a situation. If she grew up in a crime ridden area Miele would have had more street sense. For Miele to get so much product and be so lost in the Linphean district, her guardian had to be neglectful. He was ready to see a monster, but instead he saw a goddess. Helia marveled at the way her brown hair flowed down her shapely back. The blonde highlights brought out the green in her eyes. Those green eyes were what took him. They were the same color as her sister's, but the older Fata's eyes were like a cat's, shapely, gorgeous and intense. He could tell she was studying him like he was doing her. He strayed to her figure. It was slender and very feminine. She looked soft; he wanted to touch her tanned skin and wrap her in his arms.

Helia swallowed his attraction and answered, "She's in the interview room. Miss..." He was fishing for a name.

"Flora. Flora Naturaleza-Fata."

"She's already been Mirandized and processed."

Flora gasped. "What has she done?"

"Possession with the intent of distribution. She was found with a couple hundred dollars and a gallon sized bag full of marijuana."

"Oh no. No, no, no..." Flora looked crushed. "This is all my fault," she said in a whisper.

Helia didn't say anything. Instead he took her to the interview room where Miele was held. The preteen's eyes lit up when she saw her sister. "Flora!"

Flora hugged Miele and kissed her sister's forehead. She pulled from Miele and looked her in the eyes, "Oh hermanita, what have you done?"

"I'm sorry. Duman wasn't-"

"_Miele non hai un avvocato. Attendere Bloom._" Flora said cutting her off. They had to wait for Bloom.

That peaked Helia's interest. First, he wondered why these women had a high powered lawyer like Bloom Peters. Second he wondered how they knew Duman, especially on a first name basis. If it was the same man he was thinking of, he was willing to bet Miele and Flora were in bigger trouble than he thought. Duman was a member of a group of druglords called the Wizards of the Black Circle.

"Duman?"

Flora's eyes widened. She spoke Spanish so fast, he wasn't even able to guess what she said. She was more nervous than before. "You didn't hear anything." She turned away, "you can't use it anyway."

"No he can not," Bloom said, entering the interrogation room. The redheaded lawyer gave Flora a big hug. "Has he been asking you questions?" Flora shook her head. "Good," she turned to Helia. "Get your captain and your ADA. We want a deal and have information on someone you want."

"Bloom-"

"Trust me." Bloom commanded. Flora fell silent.

Helia went to consult Sky and thought about what Bloom said. He felt like they should play ball. If Duman was giving narcotics to kids it was something they'd have to clean up quickly. He knew it would come at a steep price. Bloom would surely cut Miele a deal. She'd probably want to get the felony charged as some misdemeanor. Bloom didn't say anything to anyone when Sky entered the room. She made eye contact with the blonde captain and gave a little smile. It was gone before he could return it. He was attracted to the redhead, but hated her job and couldn't fraternize. It took a while for their ADA, Nabu, to arrive. Once he entered, Bloom sat up and turned to him.

"My client will become a material witness in the case you're building against The Wizards of the Black Circle in exchange for immunization. She can get you his address, phone number, stash and give you information on crimes she's witnessed."

Flora looked at her friend in what seemed like panic. "Bloom, no."

"Immunization? How are we so sure that the information you're going to give me is valid or even worth it."

Bloom opened her Facebook and went to Miele's page. After looking through a couple of photos she pushed her phone to Nabu. He frowned. The picture was a selfie taken by Miele. He was driving somewhere. Duman grimaced in the picture while Miele pouted her lips. Nabu didn't like it. He was thinking the worst. They were too close. "What exactly is your relationship with Duman Décalage?"

Miele was about to answer, but Bloom stopped her. "It becomes a matter for nobody unless you're willing to play ball."

"I need more than just a selfie," Nabu said pushing the phone back to Bloom.

Bloom sighed, "how about a key?"

"Explain."

"My client takes care of Mr. Décalage's pets while he's away. She's a frequent guest and had could access every room in his apartment."

"Is this a matter for Special Victims?"

Miele had send enough television to understand what he was asking. "No. Eww. Duman's my friend."

Nabu sighed. "I'll play ball, Bloom, but only it's conditional. Miele makes a statement on Duman and helps us tap his phone and we'll look the other way on this."

"Agreed," Miele and Bloom said at the same time.

* * *

After everything was signed. Miele hugged Bloom before latching to Flora's side. She was embarrassed as she walked towards the door. The other cops were looking at her. She had definitely changed from the deviant they brought inside. Flora rubbed Miele's head and walked expertly despite the preteen's grip. She was probably used to it. Flora stopped walking and turned to Nabu. "Thank you, we will be there. You have my word..."

"No, thank you. She'll help put some bad men in prison for a long time."

Flora seemed a little disturbed by that. "All of them?"

Helia's interest peaked. He wondered why she asked that, Nabu patted Flora's shoulder. "Yes, all of them. Please don't worry. These are Specialist. They will make sure you and Miele are safe. In fact, we'll escort you home."

"...alright."

"You should do it Helia." Sky told him. Helia knew why. He knew there was more that the Fata sisters were not telling them. Since Helia wasn't known in their district and spoke their language, he saw it fit to take them. Helia wordlessly motioned them to follow him. They got into an unmarked car and he turned to them. "What is your address?"

"It's the same as Duman's we just live on a lower floor."

Helia nodded and continued to the apartment. The day proved too much for Miele and she fell asleep. Flora put a hand on Miele's head and looked out of the window. She was biting her perfectly manicured, cotton candy nails. Her mind was elsewhere. 'What are you hiding?' Helia thought. He turned his focus back on the road. He drove into her complex and looked for her building.

"Please stop here." Flora's attention was still outside when she said it. Helia didn't question it and parked the car. "Hermanita, estamos aqui..." Miele groaned, but opened her eyes. Flora turned her attention to Helia and found he was looking at her. His gaze was hard, strong and very intimidating. He was analyzing her again. Flora blushed once she locked onto his dark eyes. "W-what is it?"

"Your last name, Fata, is Italian, but your Spanish... You're a native speaker."

Flora nodded. "Our father was Italian. My mother is Colombian."

"Interesting..." Helia was intrigued, but he stayed focus. "I'll let you go here. Be safe."

"I will." Flora got out as soon as Helia opened the door. She almost ran into him. "Sorry."

"It's okay."

Flora nodded. Miele noticed their interaction and frowned. "Flora..."

The brown skinned woman turned from him. "We will be there. Goodbye Officer Helia." Miele led her sister away. Flora looked back at him with lingering eyes before she disappeared into her building. Helia contemplated that last look before heading back to the precinct.

Helia returned with his mind still on Flora. There was something about her. It just wasn't right. There were so many questions unanswered. He wondered how they'd gotten into their situation. According to the statement. It was because they were neighbors. It still seemed odd. Why did Flora let Miele take care of a stranger's household? Why now did Miele feel inclined to steal from them? What would happen after Duman noticed the money and stash gone? He didn't like it. He got to his desk to see Riven waiting by it. He had a serious look. "What's up?"

Riven folded his arms, "After you guys left, I did some searching on the background of those girls."

"Their records are clean."

"I know that. I spoke to one of my informants. And that chick, Flora, is the girlfriend of Anagan."

Helia took a moment to let that absorb. "Wow..."

"Yeah"

Helia shook his head in disappointment. 'How could a shy, sweet girl date someone so evil?' Anagan had a record longer than his arm; he also had many accusations that they hadn't made stick. He wasn't wrong when he called Anagan evil. Anagan was a thief, kingpin and a murderer. His reputation alone should have kept the Fata sisters away, but it explained why they knew so much and couldn't leave. He sighed, "Everything makes sense now."

Almost everything...

**(A/N) I had many variations of this story before deciding on this one. It's my first Winx canon so it's definitely a crime story more than romance.**

_**Next Chapter: Helia goes to Flora's job to talk to her.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Guest Jun 4, Jun 6: Okay**

**WinxFan: Thank you. I hope it is. :)**

**Jayboogie1604: Thank you. I hope you like it!**

**Winx flora: Oh yeah, Flora has a fan in Helia. ;)**

Chapter Two

"You realize those two aren't coming back right?"

Helia looked up to see his partner finishing the last of his lo mein. His look was serious. Helia sighed and thought about Flora and Miele. Flora promised they'd return. She'd adamantly given her word. However, he just met Flora. How was he so sure her word meant anything? Despite her shy demeanor she'd proven to be smart and cunning. She'd gotten Miele the only attorney who could get her out of her felonies and she walked out the precinct without letting anyone know who she was in a relationship with or anything relating to Anagan. "She'll be back."

Riven snorted. "Riiiight..."

Helia went to Miele's Facebook and searched through her photos. It seemed like a typical teenager's Facebook at first. A lot of pictures of herself and friends, but on occasion he'd find abnormal pictures. There were pictures of Miele with stacks of hundreds captioned, '_Otteniamo denero_'. Helia wanted to roll his eyes. We get money? She knew that money wasn't hers. She had plenty of candid photos with the Wizards of the Black Circle. Scariest of all there was a picture of her, Flora and Anagan smiling with a field of lilo in the background.

"They need to testify. Both of them. They even know where it's supplied, Riven."

Helia turned the screen and showed Riven the picture. He couldn't even begin to count all the the stalks of indigo. The purple haze looked beautiful in the sunset. If they knew what lilo was, they would have known not to get so close. "Damn. Just damn. They're in deeper than they know."

"I'm sure Flora's aware." She wouldn't be as paranoid if she didn't understand. The marijuana was the least of their problems. Lilo was dangerous. It was very psychotropic. Although it had the healing properties of marijuana, lilo had a high slightly worse than PCP. It wouldn't cause the physical damage to their bodies like PCP, but it was possible for lilo's high to make others inflict harm. There were accidental deaths from people on lilo who were sure they were fairies or witches who could fly and also murders. "We need to talk to Flora again. I'll show this to Sky."

"If you want to waste your time, fine. But I'm telling you, as soon as they can go, those girls are gone."

Helia saved the photo and printed the picture to have a hard copy. He knocked on his captain's door and waited for the door to open. Wordlessly, he handed Sky the picture. The blonde captain looked at it and back at Helia. He was also silent as he sat down. Sky put his elbows on the desk and looked at Helia with a serious expression. "This is not good. He let those girls get really close. Obviously, he loves that woman." Sky laughed, "in a way it's like we won the jackpot, but she's more of a gamble now that we know this... Go see what else she knows."

"Do you want me to bring her down to the precinct?"

"No, just talk to her."

* * *

Flora Naturaleza-Fata was listed under two jobs. Her first job was a Pet Care Associate at a pet store named Love and Pets. Miele taking care of Duman's animals made sense now; she must have learned things from Flora. He'd gone to the shop, but Flora wasn't there. He later went to Vanessa's shop. Flora had a lot of retail experience. She was an associate there too.

Helia entered the shop and looked around. The mixed scent of flowers assaulted his nose. He liked plants; he appreciated their usefulness and beauty, but he didn't have much of a green thumb. He walked to the cashier who greeted him with a generous smile. "Hello, are you searching for something in particular?"

"Someone, actually. Is Flora working today?"

"She is." Vanessa went to the back room and called for Flora. "She'll be out shortly. Are you a friend of hers?"

Helia was about to answer, but paused when he saw Flora come out of the back. "No, but I'd like to be." Flora's hair was in two pigtails, despite the attempt to keep it bound small tendrils of hair kept wafting in her tan face. She straightened herself upon seeing him. Her hands were coated in soil. She rubbed them on the apron which was failing to keep dirt off her clothes.

Vanessa looked at their interaction and smiled. Many men came to gaze a Flora. She could see why. Flora was beautiful and such a sweet girl. Most of them were sent running after they found out who her boyfriend was. Her smile died at the thought. Even she knew who Anagan was. "I'll be in the back," Vanessa said leaving them alone.

Flora didn't say anything as she looked at the raven haired cop. Everything about him seemed strong. He had amazing features against those flowing black locks. His muscles were outlined through the shirt he was wearing. He was so tall and handsome; Flora couldn't believe how attracted she was to him. He seemed even more gorgeous now that he was dressed as a civilian. "Officer Helia"

"Just Helia, please. I'm not here for anything official."

Flora raised her guard. "But you're here."

"Yes, I am. Is there a place we could sit and talk?" Helia asked.

Flora shook her head no. "I don't think you'll stay that long..."

Helia could tell she was on the defensive. He decided to stop with the formalities and let her know what he was there for. "Anagan."

"_Ciao, ciao, Helia._" Flora said looking away.

"Why didn't you tell us about him?" Flora didn't say anything at first. "Do you know what type of man he is? We know you know what he does."

"I don't want to talk about Anagan." Flora got a little jittery. "A-anagan's a good man."

"A lot of lenusha, lilo, and dead folks attached to that good man, Flora."

Flora frowned, "He's never been convicted of anything. He treats me, my mother, and my sister well. He's not like the others."

"We both know he's not a good man, Flora. I'm sure you could tell me many examples of how he's proven to you that he wasn't good."

Flora could. She thought of several instances. It sent a dark chill down her spine. "But I wouldn't tell you. Look, my sister will testify against Duman. At the end of the day she means more to me than them. I'd even help you with Gantlos and Ogron but I won't say a word against Anagan."

Helia "Why?"

"I already told you. He's been good to me and my family. He loves me."

"But you don't love him." Helia realized. Flora didn't love him. If she did, she would have said it already. That information pleased him, but also made him disappointed. Flora shouldn't force herself to be with someone she didn't love. He dropped the thought. He remembered the reason that brought him to her initially.

Wordlessly, Helia took the picture of the field of lilo and showed it to Flora. She didn't say anything at first. "Why do you have that?"

"Why does it exist?"

Flora swallowed, "Why shouldn't it? It's just a picture."

"You work at a flower shop, I think you know what these flowers are."

Flora looked as if she were going to cry. "This is an interrogation. I've done nothing illegal. This wasn't even in America. Why can't you leave me alone?"

"It's out of concern. You've gotten yourself involved with dangerous people. You're in very deep and I don't want anything to happen to you."

"To your witness." She whispered while playing with her apron.

"No, to you."

Flora looked up and noticed that they'd gotten closer in proximity during Helia's interview. Her heartbeat raced. For some reason, Flora felt like she could tell Helia anything. The spell he was weaving on her almost broke when she noticed red hair. It wasn't Bloom.

Ogron was coming inside the shop. Quickly, Flora took the picture and wrote an address on it. She gave the location of the field and gave it back to Helia. She mouthed for him to leave, but Helia didn't. Ogron looked at Helia and narrowed his eyes. "Narc..."

Helia folded his arms and held his demeanor against the druglord. "Ogron Sebastian"

"You talking to cops now?"

"I would never." Flora said with hatred in her voice. Helia didn't know if it was hatred of Ogron or the police, maybe both.

Ogron put his arm around Flora. "Are you going to buy something? Because if not I suggest you get the fuck out of here."

"Yes, will you please leave?" Flora's eyes begged him to go.

Helia backed up and looked around the store. Even though he only took a minute he found what he thought to be the most beautiful flower in the store. He folded his card small and placed it in the petals. He went to the register and looked back at Orgon. He was still at Flora's side. "The sooner you let her go, the sooner I can leave."

Ogron scoffed and took his arm from Flora. "Make it quick."

Flora went behind the register. She mumbled the flower's Latin name and rung it up. "That will be $19.26." Helia handed her a twenty. Flora started wrapping the flower. She noticed the card in the petals and ignored it. She handed him his change and his purchase. "Have a nice day, Officer Helia."

"And don't come back." Ogron added, sinisterly. Helia gave Flora the flower and casually walked out of the store. He didn't go far; he could hear Ogron talking about him. "That cop's got a lot of nerve. You know that's a Narc, right? What's he trying to do? Save you?"

Flora thought about her good looking protector. She beamed at the thought of him. She blushed at her childishness. Who knew she could still get butterflies? "I guess he's the type..."

"Yeah, you just don't get any ideas. If we go down, you're going down too."

_"Aiutami, Helia! Voglio una via d'uscita!"_

"Speak English." Ogron barked. He was tired of guessing.

"I said, don't threaten me." Flora said lowly. "I have work to do... _Ciao_."

Ogron hit the desk. Flora jumped. "Anagan may think this is cute, but I don't. Don't forget who leads, Fata." He grew closer to her and glared. "I will rip your wings and let you fall."

This was bad. Flora was signaling to him. 'Help me, Helia! I want a way out!' Her plea started to haunt him. He would help her. He'd convince Sky to keep her area canvased, maybe get a small detail outside her apartment. He looked at the address. She'd helped them so much. He was going to make sure she didn't pay with her life.

* * *

At the request of Helia, Flora and Miele got assigned a police detail. Brandon and Timmy shadowed Miele, but Riven and Helia got Flora. It wasn't hard to establish a routine for Flora. Her day started with the sun. She spent it gardening before work, then she would go out with friends. She seemed to have a lot of close ones. Her friends seemed affluent. It didn't just stop with Bloom Peters. There were two wealthy heiresses, Aisha Layla and Stella Galatea. She also hung out with a famous Russian scientist, Tecna Petrakova and a music virtuoso Musa Lee. They were an odd group of friends.

Anagan only seemed to pop by on occasion. He was probably too busy making moves to see her. That is what he thought until their subject approached their car. She knocked on the window. Helia rolled it down. She handed him a phone. Before Helia could ask why, a deep voice over the phone asked, _"¿Estoy en altavoz?"_

"_Sí_" Flora answered with tears in her eyes.

"_Bueno_."

"Who the hell is this?" Riven asked.

"No, I think a better question is who are you. How about you stop sniffing after my bitch and come for the big dogs?"

Helia knew instantly who it was. "...Anagan"

"Got it. Now get this, stay away from my girl." With that Anagan hung up.

Flora took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Stop following me."

"You asked for help."

"And I was wrong! They knew the moment you started shadowing us. Now they're starting to ask why and I can't do this! If Duman or any of them finds out about what Miele and I have done they'll... they'lll-!"

"Let us help you, Flora."

"No!" Flora took her phone. "No! You cops always say you're going to help, but you always make things worse! Leave us alone. Stop following me!"

Flora turned and went inside her complex. Helia looked at his partner and wondered what they should do now. "We should go."

"We shouldn't leave her." Helia thought about all the mistakes they made. "I'm the one who got her in this mess."

"No, the moment she dated Anagan, she got herself in this mess."

Helia shook his head. "She's a victim. Miele's a victim. We should help them."

"You can only help those that want to be helped," Riven replied.

'_Aiutami, Helia! Voglio una via d'uscita...!' _Helia sighed. He thought she was ready.

**(A/N) I probably should have had the bag full of lilo initially. Oh well.**

_**Next Chapter: Flora tells Helia disappointing news.**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Guest 6/6, ****Jayboogie1604, Winx flora****: I took a while, but here's the update. I really didn't mean for it to take this long. I didn't have a computer, but my boyfriend let me use his while he's at work. So now I have to hurry, type everything and proofread it. Hopefully I can update this and Affairs of Eraklyon before the day ends. Thank you so much for your feedback and patience. :)**

Chapter Three

Helia had to concede to Riven's premonition. There was no way Miele and Flora would come back to testify. Despite Flora's protests and demands for them to leave. The detail continued to tail the Fata sisters. They were too valuable to their case. Unfortunately, like before, they thought they were stealthy, but were proven wrong. Somehow Miele and Flora managed to lose them. They vanished on day five. Helia wasn't sure if they were in the country or even alive anymore. He was definitely sure they weren't coming back. Riven had rounds of "I told you so"s and "What did I tell you"s for the entire unit. Helia sighed. He should have known better. How could he give so much trust to someone like her? She was so entranced by that life; he should have known her word to a cop was worthless. She made it very clear her allegiance was to Anagan. He shouldn't be surprised that she disappeared.

"You still moping about that woman?"

Helia ignored the judgmental tone in Riven's voice. "I'm not moping over her. I'm just deep in thought."

"About that woman," Riven leaned back. "Man... It's no wonder you were fooled. She was hot, really hot. So were her friends, but they're liars too. I'm not convinced that with how close they seemed that they can have no idea to Flora's whereabouts."

"Yeah, I agree." Helia shook his head and continued working at his desk.

Coincidentally one of those friends arrived. The dark skinned heiress looked around and then asked someone for Helia. They pointed him out. Aisha Layla walked to him with a mixture of water-like grace and haste. Whatever she wanted to say to him it was important. "Officer Helia?"

Helia nodded. Aisha's lip trembled, speechless she pulled something out of her purse and handed it to him. It was his business card. He looked at the fold. It was the one he gave to Flora. He looked Aisha in her eyes. "Where is she?"

"What's going on?" Riven asked, instantly alarmed.

Aisha held up her hand to dismiss Riven. Looking only at Helia she answered, "She's at my house."

"So you were lying when I asked you earlier," Riven glared at Aisha. "I wish I could arrest you."

"Try it! I'd have your badge before you could book me."

Helia interrupted their banter. "Why are you telling me this now?"

Aisha stopped looking at him. "Look, I really didn't know where she was at first. She came to my house this morning and... She's hurt. She's hurt really bad." Helia got up. Riven got his coat and went with him. Aisha followed the cops before taking the lead. "Follow me." Aisha got into her green Ferrari and sped to her home.

Riven kept up with her and gritted his teeth. "I don't like this. I mean do you trust her? Trust this? I have a bad feeling about this." Helia nodded; he knew he wouldn't like the scene they were headed into. They didn't say anything else during the ride. The community's guard allowed Aisha and the Specialists entrance. Aisha had to enter a code to get into her manor. It was breathtaking. The estate seemed large enough to be a castle. It overlooked the ocean and had many fountains in the yard. Aisha Layla wasn't just rich, she was wealthy. Flora had deep connections.

Riven drew his gun and provided back up for his partner as they went inside Layla's mansion. Aisha sounded worried as she called for Flora, "Flora? Flora, where are you?" Helia felt uneasy. He followed Riven's lead and drew out his gun. There was no telling what they were about to find. Since Flora wasn't answering Helia had to factor in the sad possibility that she'd been murdered, forever silenced for running to the police. Aisha opened the door to the guest wing. Helia could see a thin body laid on the couch. Aisha rushed to her friend. "You're going to be mad, but I didn't go to the store for medicine. Flora?" She took the covers off Flora. Her eyes were swollen to the point where they looked protruded, the ridges were dark purple and a sick yellow-green tint. Her lip had been busted. Her face, neck, chest and arms was covered in welts and scratches. Bruises littered her caramel skin. He could tell by the way she breathed she was in pain. They sheathed their guns.

"Jesus, why didn't you call an ambulance?!" Riven yelled at Aisha. He could tell by the coloration that this assault didn't happen while Aisha left to get them. They were older. She'd come to Aisha like this. "What kind of friend are you?!" Riven started to call it in.

"How dare you?! Flora told me not to because _he'd_ find her there. I didn't know what to do!" Aisha yelled back.

"Both of you stop." Helia picked up Flora. The slight jostle made her flinch even in her sleep. "Ms. Fata. _Señorita Naturaleza-Fata? Despierta, por favor..._" She wasn't waking up. "Call it in." Helia made his way to the car.

"Oh God, she's not waking up! What have I done?" Aisha panicked. If Helia had time he would have assured her that she did the right thing. Their unit could keep her identity hidden while Aisha could not. They would have also been unprotected had the Wizards returned to finish what they started. Aisha followed the cops until Riven stopped her.

"Whoa, where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going with you."

"No. We're staying here. You have no idea who we're dealing with."

"I'm not afraid." Aisha opened her jacket to reveal the strap on her torso. In the holster was a nine milometer and a knife.

Riven didn't know whether to smile or roll his eyes. He liked that she was the type that didn't need help, however she was clearly unaware at who she was dealing with. While she was strapped the Wizards could bomb her house, car, or execute her family. She probably needed to disappear too. Until then she was his responsibility. Riven frowned at the thought. "Great..."

Helia placed Flora in the backseat of the car. He didn't bother buckling her in a seat belt. Instead he put on his lights and radioed his progression. Flora's breathing remained shallow. She still didn't wake. Helia weaved through the traffic, safely drove through red lights and finally made it to the hospital.

* * *

Flora groaned. Her body felt too heavy to move. She felt dizzy and nauseous, but she also felt numb. She was no longer radiating pain. Flora noticed that her arm was hooked to a machine. She groaned again. She was in a hospital. She told Aisha no hospitals. Flora hated hospitals; she honestly had a slight fear of them. She turned to her side and expected to see Aisha, to her surprise it was Helia. He actually stayed with her? Flora was touched, but soon found herself self conscious. She must have looked awful. Her limbs felt too cumbersome to attempt straightening up. There wasn't much she could do anyway. Helia looked at her in concern. There was so much he wanted to say to her, but he swallowed it and went into police mode. "How are you feeling?"

"A little better, thank you." Flora answered. Her voice was scratchy from thirst. She didn't ask for water. He'd already gone above and beyond.

He was glad she was awake. Once he got her to the hospital, the ER doctor assured police that her wounds were superficial. She had taken a beating, but there was nothing broken. She didn't have a concussion or any other neurological problems. She wouldn't even have a scar. Toxicology reports showed she had a slight increase of melatonin in her system. Helia guessed she took it so she could sleep through the pain. Anagan was a big man. It was fortunate that she didn't suffer through anything lasting. However maybe there was a reason her wounds were just skin deep. Her family was still missing. Flora's mother, Rosa hadn't returned to either of her jobs, not even to pick up a pay check. Miele had been out of school for days. They had no idea where they were. Were they like Flora? Were they still even alive? Sky chewed the entire unit out for their shoddy police work. Taking a gamble, he let Helia continue to shadow her. He felt like Flora would be most comfortable speaking with him. After this he was going to pull Helia from the case. Sky could tell Helia was too close.

Since this would be the last time he'd see her, with baited breath he asked, "can you describe your attacker?"

Flora took a deep breath. "She was tan, with really bushy hair. ...she was wearing a red outfit" Helia's eyebrow rose; he was silent. He was expecting her to tell him that Anagan beat her. There was no way some random hood rat attacked her. Anagan was too territorial. Even though he was sure Anagan wouldn't let anybody hurt her, Helia was sure Anagan would make himself the only exception, especially if Anagan found out she was planning to betray the Wizards. He didn't believe her. Flora could tell. Flora swallowed despite the soreness. It did nothing to help the dryness. "I'm telling the truth..."

"I never said you weren't."

Tears threatened to fall from her small green eyes. Despite their swelling they were still beautiful to Helia. "It was his mistress... I always thought- I thought...!" Her voice cracked. Her voice was still shaky when she said, "Anagan always said he had a thing for natural beauties... I guess he didn't lie." The tears fell. She seemed so hurt. Helia felt bad for her. She didn't deserve this. From what he could gather so far. She found out Anagan was cheating on her and the other woman attacked her. What was it about this guy Anagan? How did manage to get someone like Flora and once he did, why didn't he cherish her? "She's not even a nice girl."

'That's an understatement,' thought Helia. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Flora apparently didn't hear him. Instead, she continued to ramble about Anagan not loving her. Maybe it was the medication. He decided to stop the interview. She was too drowsy to completely speak English. "_Mi papá era un buscavidas..._" Helia looked in her direction. She was still crying, but silently. "Mama told me that he used to push lenusha in her neighborhood when she was growing up. He was handsome and charismatic; not even the police bothered him. She fell in love with him. It was just talk though. He didn't love her. He married someone else and they had Miele. I guess it's good he didn't marry mama. He started smoking his product and _pap_á__ had a large debt he couldn't pay. He lost everything and went to prison. He died... Miele came to live with us. ...That debt was to the Wizards of the Black Circle." It was a cycle. Helia could already tell from her story Anagan entranced her the same way her mother was. He knew the way dope men and hustlers were seen in low income neighborhoods. They always had money, some were charitable and sometimes became strong pillars in the community. Flora's father must have done well. Flora became friends with influential people. Unfortunately it came with a price. She was tangled with dangerous people even after his death. "_No tengo a dónde ir ahora..._"

Flora fell asleep. Helia sighed and let his mind drift. She was hurting more inside that she was out. He felt very arrogant. He assumed Flora didn't care about Anagan and was with him via obligation. If that was true Anagan's infidelity wouldn't cause her this much pain. Perhaps it was good Sky was taking him off the case. He wasn't thinking critically or without bias. He knew why. He was attracted to her. Helia sighed at his realization. Understandably so, Flora was a beautiful woman. She led an interesting life.

"Someone has a delivery," said a sing-song voice. Helia looked up to see Nurse Ofelia holding a giant bouquet of white roses and pink lilies. The older woman noticed Flora was sleeping. She was planning on setting the bouquet next to Flora, but Helia had an eerie feeling.

"Where did those flowers come from?"

Helia flashed his badge. Ofelia swallowed. "A fairly large black man, with dreads, and goatee. He was wearing jeans and-" Helia took the note attached to the flowers.

_Lo siento. Yo nunca quise que nada de esto sucediera. Regresa a mí._

Although he couldn't entirely read what it said, he knew one thing. The Wizards knew where Flora was. Helia called Riven. He grew more panicked with each passing second. Riven answered irritated. "I hate this woman."

"You're both in danger." Helia cut to the chase.

"What's up?"

"Anagan just came to the hospital. He knows where Flora's been going. I'm sure he knows Flora went to the Layla mansion. I don't know if he'll retaliate, but you need to leave the exact way Flora and I did just in case."

Riven was silent for a moment. "We're leaving now. She's just grabbing her- AISHA NO!"

All Helia could hear was screaming. He looked up to see Flora awake. She looked scared. "Was that Aisha?" Helia didn't even need to answer for Flora to know the answer to that question. Her heart rate increased. Her breathing grew choppy and erratic.

Helia got up and held her hand. "Calm down, Flora. You have to be strong. We don't know what happen."

"She's one of the strongest people I know."

"Riven's definitely the strongest person I know. He won't die and he won't let a civilian die either." Helia didn't want to upset her further, but he had to know. The answer would help him guess the fate of his partner. "What happened to your family?"

Flora swallowed. She took her hand from his and looked down. "I... I sent them to Columbia. I couldn't let them pay for my mistakes. If you have to arrest me, fine, but I can't tell you where they are. I can't! They'll- Aisha! I can't!"

"..."

"He's going to kill me too, Helia. He's never hurt my friends before. I can't believe this is happening... I-" Flora started shaking. "I have nowhere to go now."

"...we can't stay here."

"Where are we going?"

"I'm going to take you back to the-"

"don't..." Flora said weakly. It was so soft he almost didn't hear it.

Helia looked at her. "You're going to be safe. You'll be safe now."

Flora took a deep breath and gathered her courage. "Don't leave me. I-I only feel safe with you."

Before Helia could stop himself, he said, "You'll stay with me."

Flora smiled and fell into assured sleep. Helia sighed and checked on the status of Riven and Aisha.

**(A/N) Of all the things that wouldn't happen in real life, Helia being able to stay with Flora wouldn't be one of them. I'm going to do it anyway. BTW, if you can't read the random bits of Spanish and Italian, it doesn't matter. I always add in context around it. You aren't missing anything. I only add it to show that they aren't speaking English at these moments without it being robotic if that makes sense.**

_**Next Chapter: Helia has to deal with the repercussions of having Flora stay with him.**_


	4. Chapter 4

FloraFanS: Thank you so much for your review. Sorry it took so long to update.

aligarria: Gracias! Espero que te guste este capítulo.

Chapter Four

Helia knew Aisha had to be a strong woman. He had no idea how she did it. Despite having a flash bomb explode in her face, she hardly received any burns. Unfortunately, she did lose something. Aisha Layla could no longer see. The Black princess didn't let any tears fall. She just accepted it. Helia didn't bother saying anything to her. He couldn't say that she'd be okay or that her sight would return. Nothing was certain and he wasn't a liar. He couldn't say that they'd get the men responsible. The system was flawed. Even if it wasn't, what forensics did they have? How did the Wizards manage to slip a flash bomb in Aisha's purse without her knowing? Riven was beating himself over it. Even though Aisha Layla wasn't his favorite person, he never wished her harm. He couldn't believe that he wasn't quicker. He did manage to grab and throw the bag, Riven's hand and forearm had second degree burns on them. Riven luckily had his eyes closed while he did this. It made him feel like a coward. Surprisingly, Aisha didn't agree with that conclusion. She knew it was his quick reflexes that kept her from being incinerated. She was a beautiful person inside and outward. It seemed befitting that she kept her beauty, but would she ever be able to see that?

Timmy entered Aisha's room with a brief knock. "Hello Ms. Andros, um do you mind if I borrow Officer Helia from you."

"By all means. I try not to make it a habit to be surrounded by cops. It would make me more comfortable." She looked as if she were talking to the wall. Helia wondered if their presence prevented her from processing her situation. She turned to him. Her blue-gray eyes didn't meet his dark ones, but even without her sight she could locate him. There was no emotion in her face as she commanded him, "Go."

Helia got up and went to the door. Whatever Timmy had to say it must have been important. He didn't know why else he would tear him away from a victim. Helia closed the door and looked to make sure they were alone. "What is it?"

"The attack on Aisha wasn't an accident." Timmy announced.

"Of course it's not." Flash bombs don't appear in purses at random. They're placed. Helia thought about Riven's mistrust of Flora before things went bad. Helia's stomach began to ache. She was the only other person known to be in the Layla mansion with Aisha. He thought of those lively green eyes and pretty smile. He felt like he already knew the answer to this question. "You don't think Flora-"

"No" Timmy answered quickly. He could tell Helia had something for Flora. He didn't want to put Helia off, but he too didn't have trust in Flora. Things were a little too conveniently and he didn't believe in coincidences. The only reason he didn't believe Flora placed the bomb in Aisha's purse was the type made would have left a residue on Flora's hands. Flora was clean. "We still don't have any leads on the person who set the flash bomb."

"So what have you found?"

"Others! Well other people. There was a rash of flash bomb attacks in a few precincts not too far away from ours. They seem isolated. But when I looked into each incident the blasts seems to decrease in intensity. It's almost as if they did it to make sure Ms. Layla would be temporarily out of the way."

"Seems a little too caring to be the Wizards of the Black Circle."

"Anagan is Flora's boyfriend. He probably doesn't want to chase her away by killing her friend."

"Maybe," Helia said thinking about Timmy's theory. It had been a while since he'd seen Flora. She was moved to another location. He promised her that he'd stay by her side. He didn't like that he wasn't able to keep his promise. Helia couldn't help, but think of that terrified expression she made. She was probably terrified. She was alone in an new environment with a new identity. She'd have to live that lie forever. Flora was so used to living lies. It seemed unfair that she'd never gotten to see what true freedom was. She sacrificed her happiness and well being to be with Anagan. Now she was doing the same to put him away. He wondered if Flora would have been happier if Miele hadn't gotten cause with drugs. Helia decided to visit his partner again and get Flora out of his mind.

* * *

Buried in paperwork, Helia wished he were somewhere else. They were too busy dealing with the aftermath of a meth lab explosion. Three manufacturers were dead from the blast inside their camper. Several people around the camper were injured. He hated his job when this happened. He tried desperately to remember why the job was worth it. Surprisingly, Flora wasn't on his mind. Helia didn't give the Italian mixed woman any thought after she disappeared in protective custody. He didn't even think of the promise he made her. Instead he focused on a past successful sting operation. Lilo, lenusha, and hundreds of thousands of dollars were recovered that day; sixteen arrests were made. It was a good victory. As good as that win was, he knew that faction was only replaced soon after. It seemed like a never ending battle, the war on drugs; however, Helia was willing to fight. He always hated to see what addiction and drug money did to a community. The suffering kept him going.

"Hey Helia" Helia looked up to see Brandon above his desk. "How would you react if I told you we can take a break?"

Helia smiled. "I'd be very grateful. What's going on?"

"I have an informant. Her name is Lucy. She says she has information."

"...just like that? Why?"

Brandon laughed a little. "No not suddenly. She's been doing this for years. At first she did it because she just wanted to keep getting high without the police harassing her about it, but her habit caused her only friend to get hurt. ...Her dealer was looking for Luc because she stole from him; the girl hid Lucy, she didn't even spill when she was on the ground being kicked. I was first on the scene." Brandon realized he was going on a tangent. "I think she does it to make amends now."

"N.A.?" Amends usually meant narcotics anonymous. A former addict once sent him flowers to apologize for biting him during an arrest.

"She's going on three years."

Helia wasn't sure how he felt about this. Why didn't they get this Lucy woman help before her friend got hurt? Keeping an addict, a lawbreaker, from getting help because of the information she has seemed very unethical. He didn't say anything though. He followed Brandon to meet the omniscient Lucy. He didn't have to wonder why Brandon was doing this. He felt bad for Helia since Riven was gone. Brandon already had a partner, Timmy. He could tell their patterns were different that his and Riven's. Brandon talked or joked the entire time. Riven would only talk if he had something of substance to say. He missed Riven.

Brandon and Helia arrived to Lucy's apartment. A thin woman with stringy green hair opened the door before Brandon could knock. "Hi..."

"Hey Lucy. What's going on?"

Lucy rubbed her arms. "If I tell you this, I don't want to stay here anymore."

Brandon frowned. He looked very concerned. Helia was intrigued. "It depends what you know." Helia was not as friendly with informants as Brandon seemed to be.

"What if I told you that the entire neighborhood knows where Flora Naturleza is?"

This sounded like a trap. "How?"

"They followed some baby faced cop. Jerry? Jared? Yeah, Jared..."

Helia looked to Brandon. "I think we should go."

Lucy was scared. Were they really about to leave? "Wait, I told you what you want to know. I can't stay here!"

Brandon touched her shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll be back. First we have to verify-"

"Brandon!" Helia was shocked Brandon was telling her so much. He wonder why he found this woman so trustworthy. Brandon said nothing more and went with Brandon to do some research on Lucy's claim. It didn't take long to find out she was telling the truth. Many knew where she was; few knew the cop who was with her. Everyone knew the Wizards were planning on getting her.

* * *

At first Helia wasn't the one assigned to protect Flora, but Helia's connections paid off. On his own Helia was not able to convinced Sky to make it possible for him to be with Flora. Nobody in his squad agreed to the arrangement. It was against protocol and was unethical. Helia obviously had gotten too close to Flora. His sense as a cop would dull and he'd be likely to go against the badge if it came to it for her. He was proving that already. Plus the idea of the two of them alone and secluded was a brewing pot of potential trouble. Unfortunately Helia's connections made it possible for him to do as he wanted. Despite the logic of his squad and protocol, it was allowed. Sky told Helia he'd have to face a review board for his conduct. Helia wasn't worried.

When Flora saw Helia, she ran to him and gave him a hug. "Thank you."

"I promised you I would." Flora nodded, she felt much better now that we was there.

**The Next Morning...**

Helia woke up and checked Flora's room to see if she was still asleep. He found the bed neatly made, but she wasn't there. Helia could hear her voice travel. It sounded as if she was talking to someone.

"_Sí, mamá, este lugar es muy seguro... Sólo hay una policía... Helia... _¿_Te acuerdas de él? __Mamá... __Mamá, no llores. Es curioso, ¿no? No te preocupes. Terminará pronto-_"

Helia's eyes widened. Flora was talking to someone over the phone. "Flora, hang up." Flora looked as if she didn't understand. Helia couldn't think of the Italian equivalent so started to gesticulate. "_Ciao. __Ciao._"

"_Ciao _Mamá..."__

Helia walked over to the phone and looked at the number. It wasn't American. He looked at Flora with disappointment and anger. "What were you thinking?!" Remembering her confusion earlier, he said "_Che cosa stavi pensando?!_"

She flinched. "_Era solo mia madre. Era meno di un minuto._"

"That doesn't matter Flora. If the Wizards of the Black Circle are bugging your mother's phone they already have our location. It takes that long on television." The color drained out of Flora's face. Her green eyes shimmered. Helia softened. He touched her shoulder. "I don't think they are, but you can't call Rosa again. I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry. I-I just missed my family. She helps console me." She looked Helia in his eyes. "I'm scared."

"I know." Helia wiped the tears from her face. "I'll get you through this. Just please trust me."

"I do." Flora touched his hand and looked into his eyes. He saw that most of the swelling had gone down. One of her eyes were dark, but he was sure it looked worse than it actually was. She healed fast. Maybe she wasn't as regal as Aisha, but she was definitely strong. The way she was healing, he didn't think he would scar. How fortunate. He was sure that she'd look beautiful even with a blemish. She was embarrassed by his touch. "I must look a mess."

"No, you're very beautiful Flora. You're healing well."

"Are you still mad at me?"

"We'll have to move again Flora, but no, I'm not."

"I won't call anyone this time." Flora's eyes began to shine from curiosity. "Have you heard an update on Aisha?"

Helia stepped away from her. He didn't know what to tell her. The last he saw, Aisha was still blind. He didn't know if there would be a change in that status. She didn't know anything about her friend. Just so she wouldn't worry, he said "Aisha is fine. She's strong."

"I know. All my friends are."

"How'd you meet your friends?"

"School. I went to Alfea College." Helia was impressed. Alfea was a really prestigious school. "I didn't finish unfortunately."

"It's still amazing that you went. I went to a place called Red Fountain, but I went to an art school first."

"I think my father went to Red Fountain."

Helia frowned. "I thought your dad was the neighborhood pusher."

Flora nodded. "Yes." Helia didn't question her. Flora's english wasn't the best. maybe she thought he was talking about something else. Maybe he'd speak to her in Italian the remainder of their stay. Helia shrugged, he shouldn't think that Flora was changing her story. What did she have to hide?

**(A/N) Me and updating...**

_**Next Chapter: The Specialists get a tip about the Wizard's Suppliers.**_


	5. Chapter 5

Guest 12/23: I wish I had updated in a more timely manner.

Guest 1/25: I actually love that ship. I wish I could think of a good plot with them.

Chapter Five

Helia woke up to the smell of bacon and a the sound of a Spanish guitar. He got up and followed his senses. It was beyond pleasant to see Flora in the morning. She seemed to rise with the sun. From the smell of things, Flora had thoroughly cleaned the kitchen before making this breakfast. That amazed him because he neither heard nor sensed her move. He didn't peg her to be a traditional homemaker. It made sense that she was able to do it all. She was Miele's guardian so it was only logical that she learned to cook and clean from raising a child. There seemed to be many sides to Flora. He really wanted to know more about her. Flora put the bacon on a plate and handed it to Helia with a smile.

"Buongiorno, Helia..." Her voice was so sweet. The roll of her Rs sent a tingle down his spine. He was definitely entranced by the way she said his name. She didn't pronounce the H since English wasn't her primary language. She seemed to put an emphasis on the L in his name. It was beautiful. She was beautiful, inside and out. Flora looked amazing. Her wounds were healed. There was no lasting damage from her attack. She smiled at him. He could tell that she was happy because her skin was glowing. Her green eyes were warm and inviting. How was she so cheerful in the mornings? He was alert waking up, but Flora was on another level.

"Buongiorno, Flora." He didn't have to say it to know that Flora's morning was good.

"Avete dormito bene?" It took Helia a while to realize what she was asking. Helia realized how rusty his Italian was. He took too long to respond. Flora looked concerned. "Stai bene?"

"Flora, do you mind if we speak English?"

"Oh..." Flora blushed. "Yes. I'm sorry. ...I was wondering if you slept well?"

"Yes, thank you for asking." Helia felt bad for his request. He realized that there was so much that divided them, a language barrier, his profession. He needed to stop thinking about her romantically. He couldn't help it. She was so beautiful. Her aura was so pure. He couldn't believe how alluring she was to him. "What do you plan to do today, Flora?"

Flora sighed. "I don't know... Are we allowed to leave?"

"Only if you can remember your new identity."

Flora looked at the floor. "Krystal," she smiled. "That's pretty. With a name like that I could be a princess. Princess of Linphea... could you imagine?"

"Princess of Linphea isn't a passable low profile so just Krystal." He ate his breakfast. Flora sat with him with her own. "How did your cover get blown last time?"

Flora sighed. "I guess someone recognized me... Jared won't be fired will he?"

"I doubt it. We were able to extract you both without problem."

"...doesn't this make you scared to leave the house with me? You're in danger with me around."

"Everything is dangerous when you think about it. I still have a job to do. I'm not scared and you shouldn't be either." Once they finished eating, he stood put on his shoes. "Let's go for a walk."

Flora blushed. "Yes."

* * *

The station seemed to flood with urgency. Six kilos of lenusha disappeared from the evidence room. Timmy was sifting through hours of surveillance footage. So far he was witnessing hours of nothing. He wished that his partner was with him to help, but their unit was busy. There had been a bad mixture of lilo circulating the streets. Thirteen people had died already. In addition to that, the Wizards of the Black Circle started to shake down Flora's friends. They stalked, harassed, and in Aisha's case attacked them. They were spread very thin. The phones kept ringing. They didn't know if it was reports, the media, or tips. Everyone was stressed. Timmy didn't think it could get worse.

The phone on Timmy's desk started ringing. Timmy ignored it the first five rings. It started to annoy him on the seventh. Timmy thought it would stop, but it continued, thirteen, fourteen. Unable to ignore it, Timmy paused the video and went to answer the phone. Even if it was nothing, Timmy though a break from the television would benefit him. "Hello-"

"Oh my God! Brandon, Officer Brandon! I need him!"

"My name is Officer Timothy Magix, are you alright m'am? M-may I get your name?"

"This is Lucy. Officer Timmy, I have something. It's really important that someone gets me now! I'll explain how I found out, but I know how the Wizards of the Black Circle smuggle everything in. Please come get me! I think they know I know." Lucy was shaking. Timmy could feel her fear even over the phone. He didn't know how Lucy got tangled in this, but everyone who was tangled in the Wizards of the Black Circle's business met a bad conclusion even if it wasn't death. Timmy started recording their conversation.

"Okay Lucy. I'm on my way. Just, stay on the line okay. Stay calm." Timmy called Sky over. "Send someone, Brandon, to Lucy's house. She has something big." Sky nodded.

"Okay, okay." Lucy took a deep breathe. "I can't believe I got myself into this."

"Life can get hectic sometimes can't it? You're doing great."

"It's the least I can do. But this time you can't keep me here. I can't stay here! I shouldn't have stayed last time when I helped you guys find Flora. I can't!"

"You won't. Brandon won't let you stay there. He's working on it."

"...okay. Please don't take long. I just- I feel like... I know I keep saying the same thing, but... Shit I'll just tell you." Timmy allowed her to explain everything. How somehow she ended up in the middle of the docks after being chased by cruel college students. Then the shipments of lilo being sent under the guise of exotic plants. Suddenly she stopped. "Someone's at the door."

"Don't answer."

Timmy heard banging over the line. Lucy screamed. There was a loud crash. There were two male voices cursing Lucy. He could tell by the noise they were throwing Lucy around. "Puta mierda!" "Ugly chimba!" "Fucking snitch!"

"Somebody help me!"

"Shut up, bitch!"

"I need a bus and cars to 273 Cloud Tower Way!" Timmy's heart raced. With each smack and whimper his heart crumpled more. Lucy grew silent. Timmy hoped Brandon would get there soon. Even with her silence she could hear the impact of flesh on flesh. Would she survive such a beating? With one final kick, her assailants left. "Snitch..." Two minutes later Brandon arrived.

Brandon was horrified at the state of Lucy's space. He had to stop himself from running to Lucy's aid. "Requesting backup to 273 Cloud Tower Way. Ambulance to 273 Cloud Tower Way." Brandon took out his gun and swept her home. They were alone. He knelt to Lucy, careful not to hurt her further. He checked her pulse. There was one, but she wasn't breathing. Brandon gave her two ventilation. He tasted blood. He knew this was unsafe, but he wanted to save her life. "Come on, Lucy." He gave her two more. "One-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand." He took a deep breath and breathed for her again. Lucy coughed. Blood poured from her mouth. She gurgled out blood and air, but couldn't breathe in. Brandon breathed for her. It wasn't helping. She was choking on blood. "Fight Lucy, I'm not going anywhere. I won't." Lucy was getting cold. Brandon continued, hoping he could save her. The ambulance arrived. They placed her onto the stretcher and placed a tube down her throat. The moment it was secure her pulse disappeared. The paramedics started CPR, then tried the defibrillator. No response. "No." They continued to no avail. Before they arrived at the hospital, she was gone.

Brandon was checked out to make sure he wouldn't get sick from the contact he had with Lucy's blood. He was numb. He felt hurt, lost, and guilty. He'd been working so hard to get her out of that house. He'd told her to stay put and not go out. Now she was gone. She had so much potential. She was doing good work. She didn't deserve what she got. Brandon somberly went back to the station. His unit looked at him hoping that there would be good news. He looked away. With great fire, he asked Timmy, "Did you get everything she said? Did she get them?"

"Y-yes, she got them."

Brandon nodded. He wiped his eyes. "Once they're behind bars, I'm going to need time. But not until then..."

* * *

Nabu held a fresh bouquet of flowers in his hand. He walked into the county cemetery and went to Lucy's grave. He knelt down to her. "Hello Lucy." He placed the flowers on her grave. "You are a hero. Thank to you, we're going to nail them. We're going to get them. Your sacrifice, I'm going to put them in prison forever." Nabu got up. "I promise to visit you when it's over."

Nabu walked away from Lucy's grave when a shiver went down his spine. Without looking behind him he could tell he was being followed. "Hey esse, can I holla at you for a minute?" Nabu continued walking. "Yo, don't you hear me talking to you?"

Duman walked in front of him. "That's rude as fuck."

"Mallete..." The man behind him was Anagan.

Ogron appeared out of the darkness. "We're only going to ask once."

Anagan grabbed his collared and jacked the prosecutor up. "Where. Is. Flora?"

**Later...**

Sky called the Narcotics Unit in for a meeting. This was not the happiest week for them. They lost, Lucy. Nabu was in a coma, clinging to life. These were the times their job sucked. Sky looked at the melancholy look on his team's faces. He was feeling it too, but he had to stay focused. Despite their grave losses, they'd made many gains. They knew how the Wizards smuggled their drugs. They had Lucy's testimony admitting into court. They were about to make the sting. Most of all they had Flora. The Wizards were going down.

"This is the final straw. They want us to back down, but it's not happening. We're not letting Lucy die in vain. We're not going to let Nabu fight by himself. We know where their base is. We're a go. Be fresh. We have no room for error. Tomorrow will be the end of the Black Circle."

**Meanwhile...**

Flora looked at Helia and sighed. "What?" He asked.

"It's nothing," she blushed.

"You can tell me."

"It's just... Why didn't someone like you find me sooner. Honestly the only type of man I've known is men like Anagan. ...I know he's bad. He's a very bad man even though he's good to me. Was good... He cheated so I guess that is a lie." Flora grew more bold. "I like you, Helia."

"I like you too, Flora."

Flora's eyes sparkled. She turned to Helia and leaned toward him. Her lips touched his. She pulled back quickly and blushed.

"Flora... I-"

"Please don't say it. I already know. You have a life and once I testify I will have to get used to this new identity. Will I always be Krystal?"

"I hope not. I want to see where this goes." He looked her in her eyes. "I want to see where this goes with Flora."

"No sabes lo que te estás metiendo. Non sai che cosa si sta entrando, Helia."

Helia held her hand. "Nobody knows what the future holds. I'll protect you. I'll be by your side."

The kissed again, unaware of the turmoil outside their world.

**(A/N) I'm going to try to update better. Sorry this took almost a year.**

_**Next Chapter: The raid of the Wizards of the Black Circle**_


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